1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to the field of animal husbandry, and in particular to an adjustable livestock chute with movable access members.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of animal husbandry, livestock chutes are used for immobilizing animals in standing positions. Restraining the animal in such a device serves to both protect the animal from sudden and potentially harmful movements while an operation is being performed thereon and also to protect the person performing the operation from injury by the animal.
For example, chutes may be used when horses are cleaned, palpated, shoed, trimmed, booted, hooved, saddled, branded and castrated. Cattle may also be restrained in such chutes for treatment which further includes dehorning. With the animal securely restrained, the person attending it is in little or no danger of being kicked, bitten or otherwise injured. Further, sudden movements on the part of the animal are restrained to prevent the chute with the animal therein from being toppled over.
One prior art method of restraining animals involves moving one or both sides of the chute frame inwardly whereby the animal therein is pinioned. Such livestock chutes may be referred to as "squeeze" chutes and are exemplified by the cattle squeeze shown in the Darden U.S. Pat. No. 2,995,111. The device shown therein utilizes an hydrualic system for moving side members against or away from livestock. The Pearson U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,629 also shows a squeeze with laterally movable sides. However, the hydraulic system and manually operated system of levers for actuating the sides of the Darden and Pearson devices respectively are relatively complex and thus contribute significantly to the costs of these chutes. Also, clamping a large animal such as a horse between the steel sides of a squeeze chute often causes it to panic and struggle. Furthermore, animals subjected to such treatment tend to associate squeeze chutes with unpleasant experiences and thus resist being led into them for treatment.
Other prior art livestock enclosures are longitudinally adjustable so that different sized animals may be securely retained front and back therein. One advantage of this arrangement is that an animal confined by close fitting front and back panels has little room within which to kick. Also, a group of a given type of animal, for example a herd of horses, is subject to greater variations in length than width. Thus, a chute may be sized for the widest animal likely to be encountered and even smaller animals in the group will be substantially confined laterally if placed therein. By properly adjusting such a chute lengthwise, all of the livestock in the group may be accommodated and substantially restrained.
Furthermore, for confining horses, it is desirable to slide an end panel against the back of a horse already positioned in the chute. Horses generally respond by leaning back against the panel in a relaxed position, which facilitates their treatment. In such a position, the horse is supported more by leaning against the panel than by its back legs, and is thus less likely to kick or rear up.
The Palmer U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,597 shows a milking plant with longitudinally adjustable stalls for cattle of various lengths. Another type of longitudinally adjustable pen is shown in the Arnold U.S. Pat. No. 2,714,367, which includes both telescoping longitudinal and transverse members. However, with both of the Palmer and Arnold structures, an entire end of the chute must be moved longitudinally to accomplish an adjustment of length, which may be difficult with an animal therein. Also, neither shows access members which may be moved out of the way for providing access to various parts of the animal.
In fact, the sides of many prior art chutes, while effectively providing restraint means for an animal therein, impede access of an attendant to the animal's body.
Heretofore, there has not been available a livestock chute which forms a longitudinally adjustable enclosure with an end panel slidably positioned between ends of its side frames and access members which may be swung away from the side frames.